[Alpha Biz= Kim Jisun] Hanwha Ocean has been selected as the preferred bidder for South Korea’s next-generation destroyer (KDDX) detailed design and lead ship construction project, narrowly beating rival HD Hyundai Heavy Industries.

According to defense industry sources on June 11, the proposal evaluation committee under the Defense Acquisition Program Administration assessed bids from the two companies and ranked Hanwha Ocean first.

HD Hyundai Heavy Industries scored higher in the technical evaluation, receiving 73.2383 points compared to Hanwha Ocean’s 72.5958. However, the final outcome was determined by additional scoring adjustments, where Hanwha Ocean gained a significant advantage.

In the bonus and penalty category, Hanwha Ocean received 1.3584 points, while HD Hyundai Heavy Industries earned only 0.1292 points. A key factor was a 1.2-point penalty imposed on HD Hyundai Heavy Industries due to an extended security-related deduction tied to past misconduct.

As a result, Hanwha Ocean achieved a final score of 93.9542, narrowly surpassing HD Hyundai Heavy Industries’ 93.3675—a margin of just 0.5867 points.

The Defense Acquisition Program Administration is expected to finalize the preferred bidder after completing any objection procedures. Once negotiations are concluded, work on detailed design and construction of the lead ship will begin.

Hanwha Ocean said it plans to work closely with the agency to accelerate the delayed project schedule and ensure stable naval force operations, mobilizing its full capabilities in ship design and construction.

The company emphasized that the KDDX program will feature nine domestically developed core systems and pledged to deliver top-tier performance and quality through full system integration, while contributing to the growth of South Korea’s naval defense industry ecosystem.

The penalty imposed on HD Hyundai Heavy Industries stems from a past leak of classified KDDX conceptual design data. Several employees were convicted for illegally photographing and sharing military secrets related to the project.

Authorities had applied a 1.8-point security penalty from November 2022 for three years, later adjusting it to 1.2 points through the end of this year. A legal challenge by HD Hyundai Heavy Industries was dismissed by the court earlier this month.

 

 

[ⓒ 알파경제. 무단전재-재배포 금지]